Another winterizing question - drain carbs or stabilize fuel and fill tank? | GTAMotorcycle.com

Another winterizing question - drain carbs or stabilize fuel and fill tank?

J

jonboy99

Member
At risk of irritating the regulars...
Friend just bought an 80s nighthawk, so 4 cylinder with carbs. Wants to know whether to drain carbs or not. For the last 20years the only carbed engines I've had have been single cylinder so easy to drain. My fuel injected bikes I've just stabilized the fuel and been fine.

Should we bother draining the carbs, or just add stabilizer? If drain, how do people catch gas coming out of difficult to reach float bowls - or should I just stuff a towel in there, or drain onto floor?

Just wondering if i'm in for a world of pain by draining the carbs and then ending up with 40 year old carbs leaking on me until the end of time.
Thanks!
 
If you want to empty the carbs, I stabilize the fuel, run it through for a while to ensure there is stabilized fuel in the bowls, then shut off the petcock and let the engine suck the carbs almost dry. Sure there will be a tiny bit of stabilized fuel in the bowls but normally that doesn't cause me issues.
 
Personally I leave stabilized no-ethanol fuel in the tank, carbs full. I run my bikes regularly over the winter to move fuel thru the fuel system and to charge the batteries.

Draining isn’t enough imho, the tiny passages on bike carbs will clog if fuel is left to evaporate, that’s why I leave them wet.
 
Mad Mike said:
Personally I leave stabilized no-ethanol fuel in the tank, carbs full. I run my bikes regularly over the winter to move fuel thru the fuel system and to charge the batteries.

Draining isn’t enough imho, the tiny passages on bike carbs will clog if fuel is left to evaporate, that’s why I leave them wet.
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I leave mine wet too as the bikes normally go out for a spin when the weather allows. My advice is mainly used for lawn and garden equipment that gets a long sleep.
 
On the '84 I used to do both.
 
GreyGhost said:
If you want to empty the carbs, I stabilize the fuel, run it through for a while to ensure there is stabilized fuel in the bowls, then shut off the petcock and let the engine suck the carbs almost dry. Sure there will be a tiny bit of stabilized fuel in the bowls but normally that doesn't cause me issues.
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^ I do that, last 6 years, no issues.
 
The worst case scenario is if you leave the fuel tap turned on and it slowly leaks down into the carburetor bowls where it gradually evaporates. Seen that done when the bike was stored on the side stand and the carb on the left side was in terrible shape, progressively less polluted inside the carbs that were sitting higher.

carburetor_ick_zpsupe7v8vf.JPG


.... this is an early 1980's SOHC 650 Nighthawk btw
 
My 2002 ST has 4 carbs and I ensure the last couple of fill ups in my 28 L tank are non ethanol Shell premium. I add Stabil to the last tankful. I've never drained the carbs. So far, no issues.
 
Thanks all, some good points there. Great pic with the leaking petcock!
I always do the shell 91 thing + stabilizer in the last tank anyway if I leave the tank full. If I end up draining the carbs, I'll make sure the tank is drained too (and then fogged, that's easy enough).
Both ways seem like they'll be fine going on these reports, final decision will probably depend on how easy the carbs are to access. I can't see this bike getting ridden at all over winter.
Thanks again!
 
I do both.
I drain the carbs and leave the fuel tank full to the brim
As for using stabil - I carefully measure the amount req'd with a graduated cylinder to exactly the correct amount specified for the volume of my tank, and mix / shake completely.
non ethanol fuel of course.

an empty or not full tank has a real possibility of being overcome with rust...and ruined.
 
jonboy99 said:
Thanks all, some good points there. Great pic with the leaking petcock!
I always do the shell 91 thing + stabilizer in the last tank anyway if I leave the tank full. If I end up draining the carbs, I'll make sure the tank is drained too (and then fogged, that's easy enough).
Both ways seem like they'll be fine going on these reports, final decision will probably depend on how easy the carbs are to access. I can't see this bike getting ridden at all over winter.
Thanks again!
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most carb drains can be reached with a screwdriver - even on a 4 cylinder.
 
It's not that hard to service the carbs on that bike, what you see in that photo is pretty much 100% of what you need to get to. That bike started right up after I pulled the jets, cleaned them, cleaned up the bodies a bit and stuck it all back together.
 
Trials said:
It's not that hard to service the carbs on that bike, what you see in that photo is pretty much 100% of what you need to get to. That bike started right up after I pulled the jets, cleaned them, cleaned up the bodies a bit and stuck it all back together.
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nice job trials. I imagine that was easier then cleaning fuel injectors and pump.
had to say it. I still like carbs.

hey trials, got any petcock rebuild pics?
 
boyoboy said:
nice job trials. I imagine that was easier then cleaning fuel injectors and pump.
had to say it. I still like carbs.

hey trials, got any petcock rebuild pics?
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Vacuum operated petcock? (n)

& no fuel injection is way easier, you just swap out assemblies until you find a problem,
which so far for me touch wood is never. Every time I did that, the problem turned out to be something other then fuel injection problems. ymmv
... that wasn't my bike, did it for a friend. I think it might even be for sale in Gan if anybody has interest.
 
I run regular old ethanol fuel all summer, but end of the season, Shell or Canadian tire premium (the only 2 with no ethanol) topped up to the brim and stabilized, with at least a 5 minute ride after the stabilizer was mixed in to ensure it's distributed through the entire fuel system.

Then plug in tender and that's it.

I have done the "run it dry" method in the past before as well and never had an issues. I've always done it with my generators and have had equally good luck.
 
Trials said:
Vacuum operated petcock? (n)

& no fuel injection is way easier, you just swap out assemblies until you find a problem,
which so far for me touch wood is never. Every time I did that, the problem turned out to be something other then fuel injection problems. ymmv
... that wasn't my bike, did it for a friend. I think it might even be for sale in Gan if anybody has interest.
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nice deed for a friend!
I think anything after ~ 1980 would be vacuum operated
 
Trials said:
Vacuum operated petcock? (n)

& no fuel injection is way easier, you just swap out assemblies until you find a problem,
which so far for me touch wood is never. Every time I did that, the problem turned out to be something other then fuel injection problems. ymmv
... that wasn't my bike, did it for a friend. I think it might even be for sale in Gan if anybody has interest.
Click to expand...
ha ha knock wood...
no worries trials...I didn't put any voodoo on your bike lol
 
For the folks that drain their carbs, has anyone had any issue with floats that get hung in the down position when you bring the bike out of storage? This was a yearly spring event for my Suzuki GS1100's.
 
never had a carb float hang up in the down position,
I have had carbs hang up in the up position,
tapping the carb body on different sides - with the blunt end of a screwdriver - worked for me..
 
I use stabilizer for some tanks, but for hot weather and not cold.

Gas breaks down more in heat than in the cold (in my experience). Snowblower and now a carbed snowmobile I will drain carbs and stabilize those tanks in the summer.

Bike is FI and in a heated garage (10ish) so I just drain tank and pull battery , store it in cellar nside where it is a bit warmer.

T
 
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